Women’s Champions League 2024-25: English and Scottish Teams Poised for Glory

The Women’s Champions League is set to begin its group stage this week, with notable participation from English and Scottish teams. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal have all secured their spots, marking the first time three English teams have reached this stage in the current format. Additionally, Scottish champions Celtic are making their debut in the group stages.

This year, holders Barcelona automatically qualified for the group stages alongside Chelsea, Lyon, and Bayern Munich, as per their league victories. The remaining 12 teams, including Arsenal, Manchester City, and Celtic, endured a challenging qualifying journey. Notably, two-time finalists Paris St-Germain were surprisingly eliminated during this phase.

The group stage comprises 16 teams divided into four groups, with each club playing home and away matches against their group opponents. The top two from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, scheduled for March. This will be the final season featuring a group stage format ahead of changes set for implementation in the 2025-26 season.

Chelsea, managed by Sonia Bompastor, enter this year’s competition with high expectations. Bompastor, who guided Lyon to Champions League victory in 2022, has the unique distinction of winning the title as both player and coach. The Blues are set to face Real Madrid in their opening match.

Manchester City, under Gareth Taylor‘s leadership, return to the group stages after missing out in recent attempts. Taylor expressed confidence in his squad’s ability to excel in Europe this season, following a near miss in the Women’s Super League (WSL) title race last year.

Arsenal’s squad has been bolstered by the addition of seasoned midfielder Mariona Caldentey, a three-time Champions League winner with Barcelona. Arsenal aims to capitalize on this experience, having previously reached the semi-finals.

Celtic’s rise in women’s football is evident as they become the first Scottish team to qualify for the group stage since the tournament’s restructuring in 2020. Under head coach Elena Sadiku, they achieved the Scottish Women’s Premier League title and succeeded in the qualifying rounds.

As reigning champions, Barcelona are heavily favored to retain their title in Lisbon next May. Their squad features numerous members from Spain’s 2023 World Cup-winning team, including award-winning players Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas. Despite recent challenges to their dominance, Lyon remains a formidable contender, having bested Barcelona in the 2022 final. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, Germany’s top team, poses a potential threat after claiming successive Frauen-Bundesliga titles.